The longer Mr. BFS and I work from home, the more efficient we have become with our time. Plus, Google hitting a bunch of my advertising contacts hurt the business a little. My work weeks have gone from 80-100 hours a week before I had help to around 30-40 on average. I am happy and sad at the same time. I am using a few hours a week to volunteer with a hospice organization in the area, but that still leaves more than 30 hours a week that I am usually working…
Turning Time into Cash
Free time is awesome, but we are buying a new home in a few months. And we decided that we would like some more money in the bank before laying out 20% down, closing costs, and basic moving expenses. Or as Mr. BFS put it, “I like money.” So we are looking for ways to make a little more money on the side.
Here are a few methods we are using right now:
- I started commenting for hire (still have 25 spots left).
- We are renting out our spare bedroom.
- I am finally finishing up the “How I Make Money Blogging” ebook I started more than a year ago. Should be released in a couple of months. Woot!!!
- Mr. BFS just jumped at a summer job working at a bowling alley. He fixed bowling machines in college, so he’s returning to a fun side job.
- I am Craigslisting anything we don’t use for the dual benefits – more money and we won’t have to move it in a few months.
Here are a few other things that I have been thinking about:
- Petsitting again. We were receiving $15-$25 a night per dog.
- Babysitting again. About two years ago, I was bringing in about $10 an hour to watch a couple of cute kids every Friday and Saturday night.
- Side job in customer service. Maybe a part-time job as a receptionist or working at the local Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt store.
If you wanted to sock away some cash quickly, what would you do? What sort of hobby job would you like to do?
These are all great ideas! I think when I’m finally done with my MBA, I’d like to diversify more.
Time for money is always the exchange that we have to make sure is being productive enough even in the short run. I love the Craigslist anything idea.
You have listed a nice variety if things you are looking into and are doing.
Sorry, I meant to ask about monetizing this site. Do you think it too soon?
@Michelle, good luck with your MBA!
@Bryan, yep, this site brings in about $1500 a year right now. I am mainly going to be using it as the landing site for my eBook of the same name that should be published by August.
Those are some good side gigs. I’m trying to figure out what to do right now – I work weird hours, and an irregular schedule, so part time customer service work (which I’d like) is hard to find.
I am SO buying your ebook when it comes out. Just sayin’
@Kris, good luck!
@Nell, thank you!
I don’t have a spare bedroom and I still rent my place out. I don’t like to tell people who I don’t know well. They think it’s strange, but I’ve made thousands of dollars from the practice. If I needed to, I’d pick up a part-time job or do temporary work as an accountant or bookkeeper.
@Shawanda, do you share the room or does one of you sleep on the couch? One of our friends sleeps on their own couch and rents out their actual bedroom.
[...] I recently read a post on my friend Crystal’s blog at How I make Money Blogging, entitled Hobby Jobs Can Help Fill In The Blanks. Her post prompted this one – as it relates to volunteer work that Mr. Thriftability and I do [...]
What – you aren’t staff writing?
@Marie, not anymore. I gave up my last staff writing jobs about 6-8 months ago. But I may be looking into again someday…